The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the South-West has described the Appeal Court judgment declaring illegal, the Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi’s sack of elected Local Government chairmen and councillors, in the State as a further confirmation of the governor and his party, Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) dictatorship, contempt for democracy and rule of law.
The party, which also frowned at the directive by the Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, mandating political office holders in the State to take permission from the Ministry of Information before granting press interview, said; “It is worrisome that a governor, who is a senior lawyer would be behaving like a dictator by giving directives that Nigerians fought against during military rule.”
Zonal Publicity of the PDP, Hon. Kayode Babade said in a statement issued today that Nigerians must take note of the autocratic acts of the ACN governors, in relation to what they would turn Nigeria to if the country has the misfortune of falling into their hands.
“Yesterday, the Appeal Court, siting in Ado-Ekiti declared Fayemi’s sack of duly elected local government chairmen as illegal and undemocratic.
“That judgment is a further exposure of Fayemi and his party, ACN’s disregard for the rule of law.
“With the judgment of yesterday, Ekiti State will have to pay over N2 billion to the sacked chairmen and councillors and that is almost two months federal allocation of the local councils.
“Nigerians, especially Ekiti people must therefore take note of the huge debts Fayemi’s reckless abuse of power is plunging Ekiti State into and prevail upon the governor to rule according to the laws of the country,” Babade said.
On Fashola’s ban of political office holders from speaking to the press, Babade said; “As a party, we are worried that this is coming from a governor, who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
“The other time, a request for information made to the governor by a citizen was turned down, under the excuse that Freedom of Information Act was not operative in Lagos State.
“Now in Fashola’s Lagos State, Nigerians are being barred from talking to the press just because they are political appointees. Even during the military rule, that never happened.
“Simply put, these ACN people are worse than military dictators and Nigerians must be mindful of their deceitful antics.”
